A Wednesday Word: making wednesday worthwhile

pol·ter·geist (pōl'tər-gīst') Pronunciation Key
n. A ghost that manifests itself by noises, rappings, and the creation of disorder.

[German : poltern, to make noises (from Middle High German boldern) + Geist, ghost (from Middle High German, from Old High German).]

Oooooh! Scary!

Some people are celebrating Halloween and others are calling it a Hallelujah night. In any case, costumes will be everywhere!

Valdez-Rodriguez

This weekend the family got together at Crystal Beach for the 4th annual family reunion. To start, we took 3 hrs for an 80 mile drive! :o) This included a long stop for breakfast. Once we get to the actual house…everyone runs in to claim their room or bed. I think other families would actually have a layout of the house and assign who gets what, but this strategy allows for more chaotic and memorable experiences. Out of choice, I decided on a beach chair. I’m tellin’ ya…it was more comfortable than the beds that provided ZERO support. Add some cozy blankets and a fluffy pillow and Wham bam thank you mam – you’ve got a bed!
From there on out you’re up to whatever you please. On the porch, we hook up some music to some amps – let it blast and we DANCE. We build sand castles. The boys have their sand ball fight. It's all fun and games till - well, sand inevitably hurts when it's launched at you - someone cries!
In the evenings when everyone’s back in we play games. Catch phrase was the most popular this year! And we also play Loteria, which is the Mexican version of BINGO! There are prizes ranging from Bath & Body lotions & soaps to flashlights. All in all it was great!
There were really FUNNY moments that still have me laughing. I’m thankful for such a lovely family! I love spending time with them.

Whatever floats your ice cream!

Last night, I went over to my grandmother's house to drop of some things she let me borrow. She was apologetic about not having dinner for me and to make up for it offered some vanilla ice cream. So I get my scoop of ice cream and a cookie for some flavor. She gets a mug and scoops some ice cream and then....Well, she pulls out the sangria! She made a SANGRIA float!
Wow. I should have tasted it. I've had a rule that you don't knock it till you've tried it but I didn't follow it last night. I can always go back and request it!

A Wednesday Word: making wednesday worthwhile

brag·ga·do·ci·o /ˌbrægəˈdoʊʃiˌoʊ/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[brag-uh-doh-shee-oh] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –noun, plural -ci·os.

1.	empty boasting; bragging.

2.	a boasting person; braggart.

It's taught in elementary school, in church, and if you're truly blessed at home - that pride commeth before the fall! Learn now if you haven't. Let others see your potential. Display your strengths in action - words come and bite you in the "ask"!

16 years

It was during lunch time in fourth grade, October 16, 1991 that I stood in the lunch line feeling completely weird. I was thinking, "Today, I'm going to be a big sister!" I could hardly eat from the excitement and I couldn't wait for dad to pick me up to take us (aser and me) to meet our baby brother.
Once we made it to the hospital, we were so thrilled that we sounded like a broken record. We kept saying, "It's a boy! It's a boy! It's a boy!"
Sixteen years later, he's bigger, stronger, taller - OH, BUT NOT SMARTER (or better looking) - than his older sister! He's learned to play the guitar quite well and gives the occasional lesson to yours truly! He's one of the most compassionate people I've ever met! I get onto him about his spelling skills. But if he were perfect, then he wouldn't be so likeable!! So...here's to Tim for being a delightful surprise!

(Tim is in the grey shirt and baseball cap. We celebrated his birthday at this joint called Chicago's!)

A Wednesday Word: making wednesday worthwhile

Have a cup of hope!


Wait for the Lord and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land...
Psalm 37:34

A True Story

I think I wrote this in 2005 making my way to my back to my home in S. Korea. I have this image in my head like it was yesterday.

Today, I took a little walk and I saw a little man with a little bike. I felt like I was in a little town, near a little bakery, and a little stationary shop. I stared for a little while. I think the little man felt someone had their little eyes on little him. The little man gave me a little glare so I turned around and went along my merry little way.

A Wednesday Word: making wednesday worthwhile

***I'm bringing Wednesday words from the dead. It started in November 2005 with the word hors d'oeuvre.

suc·cess (sək-sěs') Pronunciation Key n.
The achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted: attributed their success in business to hard work.

There's no holding back when you want it. Sometimes you have to say, "WAIT UP! STOP! What am I doing? I've got to stop, drop, and ROLL WITH IT!" That is exactly what I did this weekend. I put a halt to my to do list and I made an apron (from scratch)! It's my very first apron and indeed it was A SUCCESS!! It's brought a big smile to my face...a little sunshine!

Thanks to J-good I have a picture. A cell phone picture, but a picture nonetheless!

An extra word because it describes my Wednesday PERFECTLY!
co·nun·drum (kə-nŭn'drəm) Pronunciation Key n.
A paradoxical, insoluble, or difficult problem; a dilemma: "the conundrum, thus far unanswered, of achieving full employment without inflation" (Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.)